The syxte sorowe
Now hath thys wydow, thanked be Iesu
Performed the burying, as to her is due
Sadly and wysely me nede not to tell
She hath behaued her ther in so well
That I dare sweare if it chaunce her a gayne
She can it do with lesse coste and payne
But for all that she is to hym so kynde
That she wyl not forget his monethes minde
Nor his anniuersary at the yeres ende
She doth so well that eche doth here commende
She renneth not hourly fro house to hous
But kepeth home as duly as a mous
Erly she ryseth and lyeth downe late
And laboureth sore to kepe her estate
Walkyng sadly in towne and strete
Without acquayntaunce of them that she mete
And somtyme hereth how folke doth her prayes Unus
Se ye yonder wydowe that goeth that wayes
I ensuer you she is a sadde woman
By my trouth if I were a sengleman
If I had fourty pounde and fourty thereby
I could fynde in my herte to make her lady Alyus
Ye but I pray you is she of any substaunce
That would make a man any fortheraunce Unus
Ye by sant Mary I holde her well at ease
I tell you if that ye coulde her please
Or haue her good wyll than were it cocke
For better it were to haue her in her smocke
Than som other that hath more good
It is a great treasure to haue womanhood Alius
That is truth, but I shall tell you one thyng
Many that been so smothe in their goyng
Been also shrewed as is the deuell of hell
And neuer cease, but euer fyght and yell
Euer vnquiet, and alway chyde and brall
And that freteth a man both herte and gall
And many tymes in stede of fleshe or fyshe
A dede mannes head is serued in a dyshe
And he ther with is made so very mate
That hous and profite he doth in maner hate
For I haue herde a hundred tymes and mo
That wyues and smoke cause men there hous to forgo Unus
He that is afrayde to treade on the grasse
Through medowes I counsell hym not to passe
He must aduenture that suche a thyng wyll haue
Often he for goeth, that fereth for to craue
Thus been these wowers euer in greate doubt
That sumtyme do bryng ther mater so a bout
That they went to haue God by the cote
And haue the dyuel fast a bout the throte
As I haue herde say I wote not what it meaneth
The matter goeth not as some folke weneth
But what of that, we must forth on procede
To our wydowe, Iesu be oure spede
She lyueth so well and so honestly
That all her knowledge woweth her company
Fro the tauerne, daunces, and common playes
And wanton maygames, she kepeth her alwaies
Pleasaunt pylgrymages, wylsdon and Crome
She seketh not, but tarieth styll at home
So chaunceth it, that on a festfulday
Whan that folke wandred to pastyme and play
This woman at home hath a delyte to be
Saufe to the dore no farther walketh she
And on thresholde fortuneth to syt
Than som neyghbour happeneth to se it
And to her cometh to pastyme and to talke
For she no lust hath, a brode as than to walke
With good euen fayre wydowe, how do ye today
Well I thanke you as a lone woman may
That hath great charges, and but smal counsel
Wel neyghbour sayth he, al thyng shal be wel
Thanked be God ye be out of det
God haue his soule that hath you so well set
Ye nede not to sequester vnder the bysshoppe
And that is sene by your warehous and shoppe
And I am sure there is muche owyng you
Mary sayth she I can not shew you how
For he occupied muche more without
Than within, and that causeth me dout
How to get inwarde that other men haue
And I am ashamed on them for to craue
For all my sorow, payne, and thought
Is for to gather, that to hym was aught
For he was fre, and lent it here and there
To them that would borowe euery where
How be it, yet for his owne sowle sake
Here and there somwhat I wyll ay take
As they may paye, for I wyll none trouble
For I ensure you, though that it were double
I set not by it, but I wyll haue all ryght
As nyghe as I can of euery wyght
For what by tayle, by wrytyng and by score
I am ryght sure ther is ought me more
Than I wyl say, and that they would maruayle
One can not lyue with scoryng on the taile
No ywys neybour, and that you know full wel
As wel as I, me nede not therof for to tell
For it is a new thyng for to take in hand
To order all thynges right as it shoulde stande
For one that is but lytle wount ther to
No remedy but it must nedes be do
But how be it I shall tell you what
If I coulde wel rule and guyde all that
Without the dore as I cane that within
I would not care therfore scantly a pyn
But or it be longe, neyghbour I trust
It shall be ordred partly as I lust
Ye, ye, neyghbour sayth he I dare trust your wit
That well ynough ye wyll puruey for it
And what I can do ye shall fynde me redy
Whan that ye nede, both late and erly
And fare you well I take my leue as now
Neyghbour she sayth, I pray god thanke you
Now hath thys wydow, thanked be Iesu
Performed the burying, as to her is due
Sadly and wysely me nede not to tell
She hath behaued her ther in so well
That I dare sweare if it chaunce her a gayne
She can it do with lesse coste and payne
But for all that she is to hym so kynde
That she wyl not forget his monethes minde
Nor his anniuersary at the yeres ende
She doth so well that eche doth here commende
She renneth not hourly fro house to hous
But kepeth home as duly as a mous
Erly she ryseth and lyeth downe late
And laboureth sore to kepe her estate
Walkyng sadly in towne and strete
Without acquayntaunce of them that she mete
And somtyme hereth how folke doth her prayes Unus
Se ye yonder wydowe that goeth that wayes
I ensuer you she is a sadde woman
By my trouth if I were a sengleman
If I had fourty pounde and fourty thereby
I could fynde in my herte to make her lady Alyus
Ye but I pray you is she of any substaunce
That would make a man any fortheraunce Unus
Ye by sant Mary I holde her well at ease
I tell you if that ye coulde her please
Or haue her good wyll than were it cocke
For better it were to haue her in her smocke
Than som other that hath more good
It is a great treasure to haue womanhood Alius
That is truth, but I shall tell you one thyng
Many that been so smothe in their goyng
Been also shrewed as is the deuell of hell
And neuer cease, but euer fyght and yell
Euer vnquiet, and alway chyde and brall
And that freteth a man both herte and gall
And many tymes in stede of fleshe or fyshe
A dede mannes head is serued in a dyshe
And he ther with is made so very mate
That hous and profite he doth in maner hate
For I haue herde a hundred tymes and mo
That wyues and smoke cause men there hous to forgo Unus
He that is afrayde to treade on the grasse
Through medowes I counsell hym not to passe
He must aduenture that suche a thyng wyll haue
Often he for goeth, that fereth for to craue
Thus been these wowers euer in greate doubt
That sumtyme do bryng ther mater so a bout
That they went to haue God by the cote
And haue the dyuel fast a bout the throte
As I haue herde say I wote not what it meaneth
The matter goeth not as some folke weneth
But what of that, we must forth on procede
To our wydowe, Iesu be oure spede
She lyueth so well and so honestly
That all her knowledge woweth her company
Fro the tauerne, daunces, and common playes
And wanton maygames, she kepeth her alwaies
Pleasaunt pylgrymages, wylsdon and Crome
She seketh not, but tarieth styll at home
So chaunceth it, that on a festfulday
Whan that folke wandred to pastyme and play
This woman at home hath a delyte to be
Saufe to the dore no farther walketh she
And on thresholde fortuneth to syt
Than som neyghbour happeneth to se it
And to her cometh to pastyme and to talke
For she no lust hath, a brode as than to walke
With good euen fayre wydowe, how do ye today
Well I thanke you as a lone woman may
That hath great charges, and but smal counsel
Wel neyghbour sayth he, al thyng shal be wel
Thanked be God ye be out of det
God haue his soule that hath you so well set
Ye nede not to sequester vnder the bysshoppe
And that is sene by your warehous and shoppe
And I am sure there is muche owyng you
Mary sayth she I can not shew you how
For he occupied muche more without
Than within, and that causeth me dout
How to get inwarde that other men haue
And I am ashamed on them for to craue
For all my sorow, payne, and thought
Is for to gather, that to hym was aught
For he was fre, and lent it here and there
To them that would borowe euery where
How be it, yet for his owne sowle sake
Here and there somwhat I wyll ay take
As they may paye, for I wyll none trouble
For I ensure you, though that it were double
I set not by it, but I wyll haue all ryght
As nyghe as I can of euery wyght
For what by tayle, by wrytyng and by score
I am ryght sure ther is ought me more
Than I wyl say, and that they would maruayle
One can not lyue with scoryng on the taile
No ywys neybour, and that you know full wel
As wel as I, me nede not therof for to tell
For it is a new thyng for to take in hand
To order all thynges right as it shoulde stande
For one that is but lytle wount ther to
No remedy but it must nedes be do
But how be it I shall tell you what
If I coulde wel rule and guyde all that
Without the dore as I cane that within
I would not care therfore scantly a pyn
But or it be longe, neyghbour I trust
It shall be ordred partly as I lust
Ye, ye, neyghbour sayth he I dare trust your wit
That well ynough ye wyll puruey for it
And what I can do ye shall fynde me redy
Whan that ye nede, both late and erly
And fare you well I take my leue as now
Neyghbour she sayth, I pray god thanke you